As you are probably aware, there have been several burglaries in the village over the past few weeks. I want to assure you that the Rye Brook Police Department is working day and night to solve the crimes which have already occurred, as well as to prevent future burglaries. There are things which the police are doing which you may have noticed (such as increased police patrols), and there will be things that you will not notice. Furthermore, our police department has been working closely with the police departments from neighboring municipalities, as there have been similar burglaries in neighboring towns and villages.

If you have a burglar alarm, it is important to remember to arm your alarm system when you are not at home. Ensure that your alarm is connected to a central station that will contact the police if the alarm is activated. An alarm will also alert your neighbors of a burglar's presence. Don't forget to register your alarm with the Rye Brook Police Department.

Also, it is extremely important for us to be able to quickly communicate with as many residents as possible to bring certain issues to your attention. Unfortunately, not all village residents have signed up for village email alerts. We are constantly asking people to sign up for our email alerts at: ryebrook.org/alerts . On that site, there are different types of email lists to sign up for. I suggest signing up for the first two, which are GovDelivery (which allows the police to send emergency emails and texts), and Rye Brook Information which is for more general community information.

Most importantly, if you hear or observe suspicious activity (anything out of the ordinary such as unrecognized parked cars or people), please notify the police immediately by dialing 911. If possible, note the license plate numbers of suspicious cars.

If you go away on vacation, please put your home on the Vacant House list with the Rye Brook Police Department by calling 914-937-1020. An officer will periodically check your home while you are away and in the event something is wrong, we can let you know.

The risk of being burglarized can be greatly reduced by taking simple steps to make your home more difficult to enter and less enticing to would-be burglars.

Make it time-consuming for a burglar to break into your home by installing deadbolt locks on all exterior doors.

Make sure that exterior lights are mounted out of reach, so that burglars can't easily unscrew the bulbs. Consider buying motion-sensitive fixtures. Use a variable-light timer to activate lights inside your home. Trim trees and shrubs near doors and windows so burglars can't hide in the shadows.

Installing double-key locks in doors which contain glass will keep a burglar from being able to open the door simply by breaking the glass and reaching through (note: so that everyone in the house can get out in the event of a fire, be sure to keep the key in designated place).

Place additional locks on all windows and patio doors.

If you have a dog, consider having someone care for your dog in your home while you're away, instead of boarding them at a different location. Even a small dog creates a disturbance that burglars would prefer to avoid.

Make a list of your belongings (be sure to keep receipts, especially for expensive items like stereos and computers). Be sure to update this list periodically. Keep copies of your inventory list and receipts in a safe deposit box or with a friend. Photographing and/or videotaping your possessions are a convenient ways to keep a record of what you own.

Engrave your valuables with an identification or mark to deter burglary and to prove ownership should the article be stolen and recovered by the police.

Always lock your car, especially if it contains an automatic garage door opener that can provide access to your house. Theft from cars typically involves the removal of small but valuable items such as purses, wallets and cell phones -- from vehicles parked at night in residential driveways or in the street.

If I you could pass this information along to any of your friends who haven't already signed up for our email alerts, I'd appreciate it.